Chapter 8 - The Enemy Inside Castelli’s House
Anthony’s men surrounded them.
Dominic counted six.
Too many.
Tony limped forward with a cane.
His hatred settled on Riley.
“You.”
Riley looked at his knee.
“How’s the leg?”
Tony’s face twisted.
Anthony laughed.
“I like her.”
Dominic moved slightly in front of Riley.
Anthony noticed.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“Your father’s weakness.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“He cared about people.”
“And they killed him.”
Anthony offered Dominic a bargain.
Give up the records.
Riley lives.
Elena lives.
Marco lives.
Dominic keeps his empire.
Riley whispered, “Don’t.”
Dominic looked at her.
Then at Anthony.
“Take it.”
Riley stared.
Anthony smiled.
Dominic handed over the box.
Tony opened it.
Empty.
Marco killed the lights.
Chaos exploded.
Dominic pulled Riley behind a freezer unit.
Victor—who had followed them—opened a loading gate from outside.
Police sirens approached.
Not compromised officers.
Federal agents.
Riley had copied the records.
Dominic had sent them hours earlier through an attorney unaffiliated with the Castelli organization.
Anthony realized too late.
He escaped.
Tony did not.
Federal agents arrested him.
Dominic could have fled.
Instead he stayed.
He surrendered his weapons.
Riley stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Ending what my father couldn’t.”
His organization would be investigated.
So would he.
Dominic understood that protecting Riley meant more than shooting enemies.
It meant destroying the system that made those enemies powerful.
He was taken into custody.
Riley watched him disappear inside a federal vehicle.
Three days passed.
Dominic was released pending investigation after turning over financial records and agreeing to cooperate.
His legitimate businesses remained.
Much of the criminal network collapsed.
Then Riley received a package.
Inside was Tony’s hospital bracelet.
And a note.
MY SON FAILED.
I WON’T.
Anthony was still free.
That evening Dominic arrived at Riley’s temporary apartment.
She opened the door.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know.”
“Anthony wants me dead.”
“I know.”
“You lost half your empire.”
“More.”
“Because of me?”
Dominic shook his head.
“Because it should never have existed.”
Riley studied him.
Then she stepped aside.
Dominic entered.
Neither noticed the man watching from the building across the street.
He lifted his phone.
“Mr. Valente?”
A pause.
“They’re together.”
Anthony answered.
May you like
“Then kill them together.”
The watcher raised a rifle and centered the scope on Riley’s window...
